Following the conclusion of the hatfield trial the question on everyone's lips is whether it will overcome the government's inertia in getting a new corporate manslaughter law onto the statute books. A draft bill was published in March of this year for consultation concluding in June. It may be tempting to seek to draw conclusions from the result of a case in which manslaughter charges, and corporate manslaughter charges in particular, have again failed to stick. But this was, in truth, an over-charged, overambitious prosecution. Manslaughter charges should never have been brought against these companies or individuals. It was, as one defence counsel told the jury, an "overblown and over-hyped case without real substance" As the judge said in his dismissal judgment at the close of the prosecution case, the conduct of these individuals did not reach the threshold of gross negligence.
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